Lancaster #28: Central MA’s Best Communities

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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

GoLocalWorcester Best Communities Team

Incorporated in 1653, #28 ranking Lancaster is the oldest town in all of Worcester County. There is history all around Lancaster, with old houses scattered throughout the town and a historic church on the Town Green.  With historic sites, apple orchards, beautiful ponds and parks, there is something for every adventure seeker in Lancaster.

Students attend elementary school in town, but travel to Bolton for high school, as the town is part of the Nashoba Regional High School.  Located just off of Route 2, near Route 495, the town has experienced significant development in recent years, and with large parcels of undeveloped land still available, more development in town is expected.  

Lancaster ranks 4th in education and 12th in safety, but it is 63rd in affordability and 60th in arts and culture.

Established: 1653
Population: 10,970
Median household income: $70,362
Median housing price: $200,000

2012 Best Communities rankings
Overall ranking: 28
Affordability ranking: 63
Education ranking: 4
Economic condition ranking: 41
Safety ranking: 12
Arts & Culture ranking: 60
Restaurant ranking: 53

History in a nutshell:

Incorporated in 1653, Lancaster is the oldest town in Worcester County. Throughout the first years of its settlement, beginning in 1643, Lancaster's history was marked by many bloody encounters with the Native Americans, particularly King Philip's War. Throughout time Lancaster remained an agricultural town still filled with farms and apple orchards.
 

Famous residents:  

Charles Chandler, Chemist
Henrietta Swan Leavitt, Astronomer
Jared Sparks, Former Harvard University President
 

Notable residents source: Wikipedia 
Additional reporting by Grace Fenton

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